M&M’s has announced that it replaced its “beloved spokescandies” with Maya Rudolph after a previous update to the candy company’s mascots proved “polarising”. The brand shared a statement announcing the change on Monday, saying they would be taking an “indefinite pause” from using its candy mascots. They said the decision was made following backlash over recent changes to the candy.
Earlier this month, the brand, which is owned by confectionary Mars Wrigley, announced its new campaign, Flipping the Status Quo. The campaign saw the production of limited-edition packages featuring only “M&M’s three leading ladies,” Brown, Green and its newest addition, Purple.
The campaign, which raised money to support women in creative industries, sparked ire from Fox News host Tucker Carlson. During a recent segment criticising the “woke M&Ms,” Carlson questioned the sexual orientations and physical depictions of the candy-coated mascots.
Carlson also expressed his disappointment with the brand’s spokecandies last year, condemning the candies as being “less sexy” following a rebranding. The updated design saw some of the candies change footwear, with the green M&M trading knee-high boots for sneakers and the brown mascot shortening her heel height.
